WHAT MADE US FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?


Sunday, September 27, 2009

A Break from Taxi Operators, '29 Day Giving Challenge', And Heritage Day Celebrations

* The relative peace and quiet in the taxi industry, notwithstanding the fact that
the BRT transport system is now almost a month in existence.
At the launch of this bus system we had feared for the worst. There were rumours flying of a week-long strike by the taxi operators etc, etc.
In the end this strike never happened. We were spared the disruption and inconvenience.
And credit must go to the taxi operators themselves. They allowed sanity to prevail.
Big 'ups' to our taxi guys.


* Getting to hear about something called THE 29 DAY GIVING CHALLENGE. I read about this challenge in a link I received from Ms Jeanette Maw(www.goodvibecoach.com). Jeanette is a Law of Attraction teacher.
This challenge is about encouraging people to get into the habit of giving. Each participant is urged to give at least one gift per day for 29 consecutive days. And these gifts do not have to be all material things. One can give a friend words of encouragement, for example. Or you can give your time to a charity.
It is hoped that after 29 days one will have fully experienced the joys and rewards of 'giving' and therefore continue with the practice beyond the 29 days.
From a personal experience, I can vouch for the benefits of giving. On some days I would be left short from giving; even be tempted to stop the practice. But I never stopped.
When I look back now at how fortunate I have been in my life in some instances, I cannot help but feel that the Universe blessed me in return.
For more information on the 29 Day Giving Challenge you can visit www.29gifts.org


* A Heritage Celebration at work that was full of pomp, colour and culture.
24th September is a holiday known as Heritage Day here in South Africa. On this day all Mzansi citizens are urged to celebrate their different cultures.
At my workplace we decided to celebrate this day the next working day - Friday 25th September. We all came to work dressed in our traditional attire.
Some of my colleagues looked awesome. To the following few I doff my hat:

a) "Bessie Mnisi - in your Zulu gear - you were pretty and colourful my sister. You looked like a Zulu princess. Which you are."

b) "Sibusiso Cindi - in your Sesotho hat( mokorotlo) and Sesotho blanket - you 'represented' my brother. You reminded me of my 2nd home-Lesotho."

c) "Mahommed Jacobs - in your Islamic all white - you were like the Imam
himself. You looked holy and ready to fly off to heaven there and then."

And to all those that made an effort to dress up but I did not mention,  you guys also looked great.



THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.


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Our FEEL GOOD poem of the week:

An Industry We Need
_________________

It's an industry we need.
An industry we want.
It's our industry.
The taxi industry.
It's a cog in our economy.
It ferries the workforce to and fro.
It's a livelyhood for thousands.
It's an industry we need.
An industry we can't do without.
The 'Zola Budds'.
The 'scufftins'.
The 'Nyathis'.
We need them all.
It's an industry we have come to love.
An industry with colourful players.
Without bo-mshayeli.
Bo-queue marshall.
Bo-mnikazi.
This is an industry of industries.
Our taxi industry.


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SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
======================================



Monday, September 21, 2009

Presidential Hotlines, 'Off Work' Afternoon, 9 Months of The FGM Blog

* The opening of the much anticipated Presidential Hotline call centre this past Tuesday( 15/09/09).
This is where Mzansi citizens will be able to air their grievances on a myriad of issues directly to President Jacob Zuma. Or at the least the people manning this call centre will pass these complaints to him and he will in turn act on them.
And apparently on its first day of operating the President was there himself taking a few calls.
I think this facility is a nice touch from the President's office.This direct access to government will help to solve a lot of problems on the ground where the people live. It will also help by-pass bureaucracy.
Let us all put this facility to good use, Mzansi people.


* Having an afternoon off at work on Friday. This was part of my birthday celebrations and it came courtesy of our branch manager - Laurinda Hendricks.
It is a tradition here at our branch - FNB The Glen - for a staff member to have an afternoon off on their birthday.
This bit of time on my hands gave me a chance to do this and that.
I must thank branch management for this 'afternoon-off-on-your-birthday' idea because this 'time off' does certainly give a sense of being pampered as it is befitting a birthday boy/girl.


* The Feel Good Movement website having been in existence now for just over 9 months.
Some of the highlights since the last celebration - at 3 months way back in February - being:

1) The FGM blog 1st page being made a landing page in one of my 'kasi' ( Protea North) internet cafes.This means that when a person signs on in any computer in this internet cafe they would first land on our web page before going to the website that they want to visit. Much like the way the Google search engine page is a landing page in most internet cafes.
And this huge exposure was given to us free of charge by Mandla - the manager at this particular internet cafe.
" Thanks Mandla 'my man' "

2) Getting our first official FGM website follower. His name is Zak. You can see him on the top right hand corner of this page.

"Welcome to the FGM, Zak 'my man' "

And we also know, for a fact, that there hundreds of thousands of our followers out there. You are just waiting for the right opportunity and the right time to 'come out'.

3) Finally, the arrival of the FGM t-shirts about 3 weeks ago. And the subsequent wearing of them en masse by some of my colleagues at work on that Casual Day Friday.

The FEEL GOOD Revolution has arrived indeed, ladies and gentlemen.



THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.


===================================


Our FEEL GOOD poem of the week:

Now There Is A Line
________________

It's a line to the President.
And it's hot.
What's on you mind Mzansi people?
Service delivery issues?
Now there is a line.
A line to power.
Bo-makhi disturbing the peace?
Now you have a line.
A line to Msholozi.
All the hot issues.
All the burning issues.
Now they have a line.
It's a line on fire.
It's a line to a better life,  for all.


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SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
======================================

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Caster Wa Rona, The Movie - 'Distrct 9', And Township Slang Phrases

* The continuing outpouring of support from Mzansi citizens for our golden girl - Caster Semenya. Caster is the South African lady sprinter who won gold in the 800m event in the recent World Athletic Championships in Berlin.
The support is in the wake of the leaked gender tests results done on her by the IAAF that say she is intersexed ( i.e.she is neither purely female nor purely male).
We would also like to voice our support  for Caster. She has not done anything wrong.
Her biological make-up is what she was saddled with at birth. She cannot change it.
I would like to say to Caster:

" Be strong my sister. This too shall pass."


* The locally made movie - DISTRICT 9 - that is doing very well in our local movie theatres. It was reported in THE TIMES ( 08/09/09) newspaper this past week that DISTRICT 9 is hogging the NO 1 spot in 'money made' terms for the 2nd week running.
It apparently did exceptionally well also in the US when it was first released there.
This film was made here in Mzansi, in the Soweto township.
It may not be strictly an SA story in that is it science fiction. We do not have a history of this genre in our film making. But we are still incredibly proud of its
achievement, both here and abroad.
Well done to bo-Neill Blomkamp - the director, and bo-Kenneth Nkosi - one of the actors in it.


* Learning a new township slang phrase for the act of selling stuff from person to person. When you do this i.e sell 'smallanyana' items like t-shirts, CDs, DVDs etc to individuals it is said:"O pusha doollas".
I got to learn this from a Spur( The Glen) gentleman employee. I had asked him where a colleague of his was. I was carrying a gym bag as I asked him this. He replied by asking me if I am "pushing doollas." If I was, he was also interested.
He never got to explain to me how this phrase originated. But I suspect 'doollas' comes from 'dollars'. When one is selling stuff, one is trying to make 'dollars', so to to speak.
After this lesson I felt even more 'ghetto' and happening.



THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.


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Our FEEL GOOD poem of the week:


Cast In Stone
___________

Cast in stone Caster, you are.
Your being, Semenya.
Like your South African-ness.
Is cast in stone.
Your golden performances.
Like our love for you.
Is cast in stone.
The Australian media.
Or even the IAAF.
They can never change these.
These and other facts about you.
They are all cast in stone.
You are still a champ.
You are still pure gold.
And this, is cast in stone too.


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SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
=====================================


Sunday, September 6, 2009

Successful BRT Launch,Rubza Finding His Wings,FGM T-Shirt Day

* The launch of the Bus Rapid Transport system this past Monday(31/8/9) going well.It was the first commercial run of these new buses.They carried passengers from near Thokoza Park in Rockville and meandered through Soweto,the Johannesburg CBD,until their final stop around the Ellis Park stadium area.
The threatened disruption of this launch by the taxi operators did not materialize as everyone had feared.
And from accounts of a few people who have tried these buses,they are a comfortable and cost-effective way of getting to work or to school.
Personally,I do not think that our taxi operators have anything to fear from the BRT.These buses travel on a fixed route and on fixed time schedules.They meet certain transport needs.They can never cover the needs of all the commuters.There is still nothing to beat the flexibility of a 'Zola Budd' taxi.


* A friend of The FGM-Ruben('Rubza')-having taken the bold step of setting up his own shop.After working in his friend's shop-'Ha Robert'-for some time,Ruben has decided to put up his own operation in the Protea Glen location.It is a little joint called 'SELLO's GENERAL DEALER',next to the BP garage in Glen.
If you do happen to be in the Protea Glen area and are looking for a tasty
'Kota'-the township bunnychow-do pay Sello's General Dealer a visit.
I am really happy for 'my man' Rubza.His long cherished dream has come true at last.


* A few of my colleagues who bought The FGM t-shirts deciding to make Friday's Casual Day an FGM t-shirt day.They came to work clad in their brand new FGM t-shirts.I would like to take this opportunity to say 'ta' to these guys:

To Sarah Bibi Imam-Shaik- a long time supporter of The FGM.

" You looked awesome in your all black attire my sister.And with your 'bhurka' on,you looked like those young and committed Muslim ladies ready to die
for the cause.
Much respect to you Mrs Imam-Shaik."

To Boniswa - the new kid on the block and PA of PA's.

"Loved how you only got you only got your t-shirt on Friday
and never wasted any time.You wore it there and then to show your support.
Ndiya bulela sisi."

To Victor Mahlangu - the ringleader of this group.

"For conceiving the idea of an FGM t-shirt Casual Day and
then marshalling our colleagues to come on board.
Big ups 'my man'."

To Sibusiso Cindi - our smart guy.

"If Victor-above-was the Fidel Castro of this plan,you were
the Che Guevara of it.You won over the hearts of the people with
your charm.
Kea leboha ntate."

Thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart.



THANK YOU UNIVERSE.THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.


=================================


Our FEEL GOOD poem of the week:


BRT Anyone?
___________

'B' is for bus.
A big bus.
A comfortable bus.
Moving on time.
Moving on schedule.
And in tune.
'R' is for rapid.
Moving.Swiftly and safely
Maku sheshwe.
Kuse Goli la.
Moving.Full or not.
'T' is for transport.
A transport for all.
Accessible and cheap.
A 'transi' for all seasons.
Everybody on board.
On board the BRT.


===================================


SO,SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE,WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
======================================
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